Last year's goat went up in flames just hours after it went up. Credit: Roger Nilsson/TT

Ex-cons join volunteer effort to protect Gävle Goat

3:47 min

Published onsdag 6 december 2017 kl 12.14

Flaming arrows fired by fleeing Santas, mowed down in a hit and run, torched by a gullible American tourist; if half a century of history tells us anything, the odds on this year's giant Gävle Christmas goat surviving through the festive period are pretty long.

Last year's 50th anniversary Christmas edition of the 13-metre high straw goat was burned down within hours of its inauguration in Gävle. It was the 29th time the goat went up in smoke and it has almost become a tradition.

Maria Wallberg, a spokesperson for the Gävle goat (Gävlebocken), says they do not want their Christmas symbol to burn down and have employed additional help to protect it this year.

We want people to keep it company. We had some Finnish firemen from our twin town here on Sunday and Monday walking around with long sticks and long black coats to scare away intruders."